What do these numbers have in common: (1) 227; (2) 335; (3) 14; (4) 6; and (5) 2-2?

These numbers are very important as we head into a presidential election in which the Supreme Court will deal with controversial issues such as Congressional redistricting, the rights of teachers’ unions, affirmative action, abortion centers and immigration,

In their zeal to deprive President Obama of his Constitutional prerogative to nominate a Supreme Court justice to succeed that justice who believed that the Constitution was a “dead document” and should be looked at in terms of how the Founding Fathers (many of whom were slave owners and thought that women were not equal to their male counterparts) viewed the world in 1787; and for the Senate to “advise and consent” on his nomination (see Article 2, Section 2 of this document), almost all Republican candidates for president, and more specifically one Ted Cruz (who likes to think of himself as an expert on the Constitution) have in accurately said that it has been “more than 80 years since a Supreme Court justice has been confirmed in an election year.”

While I will not say what one Donald Trump has been saying about Cruz’ reputation for honesty (and it has not been positive), I will say that this Republican propaganda is, like many of their claims, totally false.

There have been some 14 justices confirmed in an election year, starting with the confirmation of Oliver Ellsworth in 1796 and concluding (at least to this point) with Anthony Kennedy in 1988; and in the past 80 years six justices have been confirmed in election years.

In fact Justice Kennedy was confirmed 227 days after he was nominated, and as President Obama has 335 days left in office, there is more than enough time to confirm his nomination, whoever that outstanding candidate should be.

Finally, those recalcitrant Republicans (which make up a huge majority of the party) should heed the words of the then-president of the United States, one Ronald Reagan (whose wisdom and words are loved by Republicans) who said, in 1980, an election year no less, that “the Federal judiciary is too important to be made a political football. I would hope that the American people should expect… Judge Kennedy’s confirmation.”

If it was good enough for the savior of the GOP it is good enough for today as well.